Benjamin Netanyahu's legal troubles may be getting more serious, but that has not dimmed the enthusiasm of loyal Likud voters. However, he is facing another challenge: a new political contender.

Benny Gantz, a former Israeli army chief who advocates strengthening illegal settlement blocs and released a campaign video claiming credit for the deaths of 1,364 Palestinians in the 2014 Gaza war, is being viewed as a centrist alternative to Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud Party.

Netanyahu still leads in the polls, but the Israeli prime minister knows that he will still have to battle the courts and the media if he retains power this election.